Bobcats-Jazz Preview

By JEFF MEZYDLOPosted Feb 28 2013 12:31PM

A sustained effort complete with focus and intensity could be what the Utah Jazz need to end their recent rough stretch.

Hosting the lowly Charlotte Bobcats might help.

The Jazz look to avoid a season-worst fourth consecutive loss with an eighth straight victory over the Bobcats on Friday night.

A 20-point second-half deficit was too much for Utah (31-27) to overcome in Wednesday's 102-91 home loss to Atlanta. Though the Jazz's last three defeats came against the Los Angeles Clippers, Boston and the Hawks, coach Tyrone Corbin knows his team can't afford to feel sorry for itself.

"We're going to have to do whatever it takes to get a win," he said. "We need to make sure we understand there's a sense of urgency. Charlotte's not going to be an easy team to play against, so we've got to make sure we come out determined to get a win."

Utah has dropped back-to-back home games after winning 12 of its first 14 in Salt Lake City in 2013.

Starting games strong has not necessarily been an issue of late for the Jazz, but their play coming out of halftime needs to improve. Utah has been outscored by an average of 12.3 points in the third quarter during its overall skid.

The Jazz missed their first nine shots of the second half Wednesday and Atlanta used a 10-2 run to take control.

"We've got to be able to pick it up in the third," said Gordon Hayward, who scored 11 points after totaling 49 in the previous two games. "We can't be flat like we were. Hopefully, we can change that in the next game."

The Jazz have a good chance to turn things around against the Bobcats (13-44), who have lost seven straight in the series and five in a row at Utah. Al Jefferson, who had 26 points and 11 rebounds Wednesday, also scored 26 while Paul Millsap added 19 in a 112-102 victory at Charlotte on Jan. 9.

Jefferson has averaged 22.8 points while shooting 58.2 percent in his last six games against the Bobcats. Millsap, however, could miss a second straight contest with an ankle injury suffered in Monday's 110-107 overtime loss to the Celtics.

Derrick Favors started and had 17 points and 15 boards against the Hawks.

Utah's big men could be in for another big game against a Bobcats team that has been outscored in the paint in six consecutive games by an average of 18.0 points.

Charlotte lost its fourth straight Tuesday, 106-84 to the Clippers, who got 37 points on 17-of-20 shooting from Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.

Gerald Henderson matched a season high with 24 points, but rookie Michael Kidd-Gilchrist went scoreless on two shots in 22 minutes for the Bobcats, who have averaged 89.3 points and allowed 107.3 on 51.7 percent shooting during their skid.

"We're giving heavy minutes to a lot of young guys, and that's a lot of seeds in the earth that will eventually be harvested," coach Mike Dunlap said.

The second overall draft pick in 2012, Kidd-Gilchrist had 15 points, eight rebounds and four assists against Utah earlier this season.

Charlotte's Kemba Walker averaged 24.8 points on 53.0 percent shooting in the previous four games before going 5 of 15 for 15 points at Los Angeles. He's totaled 33 points and gone 13 of 24 (54.2 percent) from the field in two career games versus Utah.

Copyright 2013 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Kanter (23 points, 22 rebounds) leads Jazz in rout

By JOHN COONPosted Mar 02 2013 1:12AM

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Accustomed to limited minutes off the bench for the Utah Jazz this season, Enes Kanter was stellar in a much bigger role.

Kanter had career highs of 23 points and 22 rebounds in a rare start, helping the Jazz beat the Charlotte Bobcats 98-68 on Friday night to snap a three-game losing streak.

DeMarre Carroll added a career-high 19 points, while Gordon Hayward and Jeremy Evans chipped in 14 apiece for the Jazz, who played without Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap. It didn't matter against the Bobcats. Utah held a 62-24 edge on the boards and scored around the basket at will.

"It was a really good opportunity," Kanter said. "Big Al was injured. Paul was injured. It was me trying to do my job."

Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin wasn't surprised to see such a strong performance from several role players.

"I see these guys work all the time," Corbin said. "I have a different expectation because we see it and I have a feel for what they can do if they play right."

Byron Mullens had 12 points and Ramon Sessions added 11 for the Bobcats (13-45), who shot under 35 percent from the field and have lost five straight games.

Charlotte never got anything going on offense when it mattered and was held to its lowest point total of the season.

"We thought there would be one shot for 10 points and it doesn't work that way," Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap said. "It is possession by possession. We had a lot of good looks in the first quarter and we just could not make a bucket tonight."

Jefferson and Millsap, the top two scorers and rebounders for the Jazz, both sat out with left ankle sprains. Kanter and Derrick Favors started in their absence.

Kanter, the Turkish center, made the most of his chance.

He became the first Jazz player to post at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in regulation since Carlos Boozer scored 21 points and pulled down 20 boards on Jan. 25, 2010, against the Phoenix Suns.

Jefferson was the last Jazz player to reach the 20-20 mark after posting 28 points and 26 rebounds in three overtimes against the Boston Celtics last April 26.

Kanter offered a preview of things to come when he made his first three baskets and pulled down four quick rebounds to push Utah out to an early 9-4 lead. That set the stage for Hayward to spark an even bigger run as the first quarter unfolded.

Hayward hit a pair of free throws, drove for a layup and buried a deep 3-pointer to help the Jazz outscore the Bobcats 10-1 over the final 3:25 of the quarter. It propelled Utah to a 21-9 lead. Charlotte went completely cold during that stretch. The Bobcats missed six straight shots to end the quarter and shot just 4 of 20 (20 percent) in the period.

"I thought we did a much better job than in previous games," Hayward said. "There's still a lot of room for improvement, but we did a good job of moving the game plan. We executed what we wanted to do for the most part and we got to continue to do that."

Utah opened the second quarter with a 16-6 run to take a 37-17 lead. Randy Foye provided the biggest highlight of the run when he made a 3-pointer - his first basket of the game - with 5:09 left before halftime to claim the single-season franchise record for made 3-pointers.

Carroll made three consecutive baskets in the final three minutes of the half, the final one a 3-pointer, to help Utah build a 47-24 halftime lead. It equaled the lowest first-half offensive output of the season for the Bobcats.

Charlotte cut it to 57-42 in the third quarter after a pair of driving layups from Sessions. The Jazz responded with a 9-0 run, capped by Kanter's jumper, to make it 64-42 with 2:24 left in the quarter. Utah pushed it to a game-high 32-point lead when Carroll sank a jumper with 1:19 remaining to make it 96-64.

For the Bobcats, this all feels too familiar after posting the worst winning percentage for a season in NBA history a year ago. Fighting through the mounting losses becomes the task ahead for Charlotte.

"Some of these guys are new, but you just need to keep your head and keep fighting," Mullens said. "You just have to remember it's just a game. Just go out there and have fun. I know it's a job now, but you still have to go out and compete."

NOTES: Charlotte's nine first-quarter points were the fewest scored by any Jazz opponent this season. . Both Foye and Millsap were at the hospital on Thursday as their wives each delivered baby daughters, Pilar Foye and Paular Millsap. . Utah had a 31-7 edge in second-chance points and a 30-2 edge in fast-break points.

Copyright 2013 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Notebook: Jazz 98, Bobcats 68

THE FACTS: They call them the "core four" in Utah and the Jazz's young building blocks showed that they comprise a solid foundation for the franchise's future.

Enes Kanter, making just his second start of the season, had the first 20-20 game of his career with career highs of 23 points and 22 rebounds to lead the Utah Jazz to a 98-68 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday night. The Jazz snapped a three-game losing streak while recording their eighth straight win over Charlotte.

The rest of Utah's core four were strong for the Jazz, who were without starters and top two scorers Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap. Derrick Favors started in place of Millsap and had eight points and seven rebounds. Gordon Hayward added 14 points and four rebounds and Alec Burks chipped in 10 points and seven rebounds.

DeMarre Carroll, who was listed as a game-time decision because of a left knee bone bruise and patellar tendinitis, poured in a career-high 19 points. Reserve and former Slam Dunk champion Jeremy Evans tied a career-high with 14 points and had a career-high nine rebounds.

For the Bobcats, who set a few season marks in futility on Friday, were led by a team-high 12 points from Byron Mullens. Charlotte's 68 points scored were a season low.

QUOTABLE: "I wasn't expecting a 20-20 game. It was my second time in the starting five. The first time, Al (Jefferson) helped me a lot. He just said if you're starting games to go out and be yourself and I did. Today in practice I talked to him and he said he wasn't going to go, so he told me when I catch the ball just go fast, get rebounds, try to be your best and don't be nervous. I appreciate him a lot because he helped me a lot."

-- Jazz center Kanter.

THE STAT: Utah destroyed Charlotte on the boards, recording a 62-24 advantage in rebounds. At one point, Kanter matched the Bobcats' entire rebounding total as each had 17 boards during a brief period in the third quarter. Kanter finished with just two fewer rebounds than the entire Charlotte team. Utah had 20 offensive rebounds, which helped it score 31 second-chance points and score 46 points in the paint. The Bobcats, with eight offensive rebounds, had just seven second-chance points.

TURNING POINT: The Jazz put the game away early with a 16-3 run bridged by the first and second quarters. Utah went ahead 27-11 after Hayward and Burks each scored five points during the run, and Evans capped it with a high-flying dunk. The Bobcats missed their final six shots of the first quarter and committed four turnovers during Utah's big run.

HOT: Utah's Randy Foye set a franchise single-season record for most 3-pointers by draining a 3-pointer in the second quarter, giving him 130 for the season. Mehmet Okur held Utah's old mark of 129. Foye should obliterate the record as the Jazz have 23 games remaining. Kanter, in just his second start of the season, had sizzling touch throughout the game. He shot 10-for-12, missing jumpers in the first and third quarters. It was Kanter's second double-double of his career. Evans shot 6-for-8 against Charlotte. He had made just 10 baskets this season entering Friday's game. Carroll shot 7-for-10 while putting up his career high in points.

NOT: Charlotte's starting five -- outside of an occasional spark from Michael Kidd-Gilchrist -- was pretty abysmal. Gerald Henderson, coming off a season-high tying 24 points against the Los Angeles Clippers, shot 2-for-9 and scored five points. He had averaged 16 points in Charlotte's previous 12 games. Kemba Walker also struggled, shooting 4-for-13. Mullens, although he was the team's points leader, didn't take advantage when he towered over defenders, and shot just 5-for-14. Ben Gordon's lack of interest off the bench was apparent, and he shot just 2-for-8 and scored five points. Lastly, Jeffery Taylor didn't help the Bobcats' shooting percentage off the bench, going 1-for-5 to score three points.

QUOTABLE II: "It was just a rough night. We couldn't get it going offensively at the start of the game and it just stuck throughout the entire game. You obviously could have played better defense and done better at rebounding, but you're not going to win if you can't score."

-- Bobcats guard Henderson.

GOOD MOVE: With their two leading scorers out, the Jazz focused on playing exceptional defense. They showed no mercy against the 29th ranked offense in the league. Utah set the tone early with active hands and notable communication, holding Charlotte to nine points on 20 percent shooting in the first quarter. The nine points scored by the Bobcats in the first quarter were the fewest scored by Charlotte in any quarter this season.

BAD MOVE: The Bobcats were too passive on offense. They were content to settle for jumpers in the first half while Utah was pulling away. In addition to not attacking, they didn't pass the ball well either. They shot just 25 percent, had five assists and recorded two fast-break points in the first half. That is not exactly putting the other team on its heels in a road game.

NOTABLE: It was the first time Jefferson and Millsap have missed the same game since they've been teammates. Utah used its 11th different starting lineup this season. The Jazz's 23-point halftime lead was their largest of the season. Charlotte's 24 first-half points tied a season low point total for a half. The last Jazz player to record a 20-20 game was Carlos Boozer in January of 2010.